FROM SYROS TO VALENCIA CF: ERIK'S BIRTHDAY CAKE THAT WAS PREMONITORY

As a child, he dreamed of imitating David Villa or Mendieta. He dreamed of Valencia CF from Syros, a small Greek island in the Cyclades archipelago bathed by the Aegean Sea. Such was his passion that at the age of 10, for his birthday, his parents baked him a cake with the Valencia CF crest on it. Erik blew out the candles and made a wish.

Erik Hamza now wears the Valencia CF crest on his chest. A few weeks ago he joined the Valencia CF Academy from the VCF Academy Greece, one of the academies that the Club has in strategic markets in America, Asia and Europe. It was there that he grew up in football until he arrived at Valencia CF.

"Since I was 7 years old I fell in love with Valencia CF and I have always wanted to play for this team" explains Erik Hamza to VCF Media.

"I am very happy to be part of this historic club that has one of the best Academies in Europe," says Erik in Greek, who is learning Spanish to help him adapt to VCF Juvenil B where he is training under Sergio Lozano.

"He is a boy who is technically gifted and has very good skills, with good feet, finesse on the ball, we have to strengthen them and instil the defensive aspect, although he is Greek and that also guarantees you a certain level of defence," explains the VCF Juvenil B coach.

He is a smiling, hard-working boy, a real sweetheart," says Lozano of Erik, who is currently training with VCF Juvenil B - top of the Liga Nacional Group VIII - and has played in a number of friendlies following FIFA's approval last February of Valencia CF's request for him to continue his training at the Ciutat Esportiva.

”Erik is a success story because he has been in our international programme for six years, we have been following him for several seasons and he is a reward for the work we are doing," explains Ramón Mompó, technical director of the VCF Academy Programs.

"One of our main objectives is to find this international talent and train him until he reaches the right age to be able to join the VCF Academy.

"For us, Erik is a reference, says George Tolias, Technical Director of the VCF Academy Greece. "He started at the age of 5 at the VCF Academy Greece in Syros and grew up following the VCF Academy methodology. At the age of 12, he entered the VCF Academy Elite Programme which has taken him to Valencia. Although he has played for clubs in the Greek Superliga, he has also played for VCF Academy Greece.

Erik's last step before joining the VCF Academy was to participate in the VCF Elite Camp that takes place every summer with players from different parts of the world. "When I came to training we also did the Tour de Mestalla. It has always been in my mind to play in that stadium and to be able to help the team I love.

Erik, who lives in the Ciutat Esportiva de Paterna Residence and shares training, routines and studies at the Mas Camarena Educational Complex with the rest of the young players who dream of making it to Valencia CF, trains hard every day with that in mind.

"I hope one day I can become a professional footballer, make it to the Valencia CF first team and make all my family and friends who gave me such a warm send-off in Syros happily".

The different VCF Soccer Academies that Valencia CF has in strategic markets in America, Asia and Europe are at the heart of the VCF Academy Programs that help to expand the Valencia CF brand and what its colours symbolise worldwide. This Internationalisation Strategy has been a finalist in the World Football Summit Awards 2023.

In addition to the VCF Academies, the VCF Academy Programs include different activities such as the VCF Soccer Camps, international alliances, technical consultancy, the VCF Academy World Cup, the VCF Academy Coaches Convention... multiple activities that in 2023 involved more than 5000 players and 400 coaches from more than 50 countries around the world who were able to learn more about the playing methodology of the VCF Academy, the fourth best in Europe in the training of players to compete at the elite level, according to the October report of the CIES Football Observatory. (+ INFO)

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